Glamorous: A Grace Bishop Novel (Grace Bishop Novels)

by Denise Bossarte

  “You think the Glamour could find him—would come here after what happened tonight?”

  “I’m not sure.” The exhaustion and worry made her tone terser than she intended. “I’m afraid we pissed him off tonight, pushed him over some edge. I’m not going to take a chance on Billy getting hurt worse.”

  As she finished, she reached out to hold Billy’s hand again—not that he would feel it, but the warmth of his hand in hers reassured her.

  “You two are much more than friends.” The catch in his voice drew Grace’s attention away from Billy’s hand to the dejection on Anthony’s face.

  All at once, it clicked for her. The guilt she saw when she caught Anthony holding Billy’s hand earlier. The times since that first meeting as Billy and Anthony had seemed to get along better and better.

  “Anthony, do you have feelings for Billy?”

  His face got red as he refused to meet her eyes. “I… that’s a very personal thing to ask.”

  “You were the one observing who was more than friends, first.”

  “What if I do?” Anthony said, sucking in his cheeks.

  “When I first met you at the theater, you were anything but friendly to non-Paranoms. And you come from a world where Norms are poorly regarded. Yet here you are standing there saying you’ve fallen for Billy?”

  Anthony looked miserable but nodded. “It first started as physical attraction. But during the nights Billy and I spent together on the stakeout, it became something more. It got stronger the longer the case went on. The events of the last few days and almost losing him made it all the more real for me.”

  A spike of jealousy followed by a hollow fear gutted Grace. The jealousy she squelched as pure silliness, but the fear was something too legitimate to ignore.

  “To be honest, I don’t know how to protect Billy. I don’t see a way to keep him out of this mess with as much as he knows about my abilities and now the whole Paranorm world. I can’t see how to keep him from being drawn in deeper along with me.”

  Ironic my new family is turning out to pose this much danger to my current one. Grace weighed her decision before she spoke. “And if Billy is pulled into this world with me, it would be better for him to have an ally beyond myself. He’ll be safer connected with someone as important as you, who’s a close associate of Nicco. I can’t guarantee his safety by myself, but you could help.”

  Anthony began to speak, but Grace held up her hand to stop him.

  “You’ve changed since our first meeting and I want to believe the change is permanent. Maybe it will be if Billy is part of the reason for it.”

  “He is a big part of it,” Anthony admitted, his voice earnest. “Billy, DL, and you have forced me to change the way I think about Norms and even Aperto Rotto. Especially Billy. I was starting to believe he felt the same about me. But seeing you with him now, I wonder if I was fooling myself. I don’t want to come between you and Billy.” He hung his head, staring down at his feet.

  “Anthony,” she began, getting him to look her in the eyes. “Billy and I’ve known each other for over twenty years—since we were kids. He’s my family—like an older brother and best friend rolled into one. He is not, and never will be, anything more.”

  Anthony’s eyes searched her face, his face naked in its hope she was speaking the truth.

  “You are telling me you and Billy are not together… not dating?”

  “No, we’re not. I wasn’t paying attention before now. But what you’ve told me about feeling a mutual attraction makes sense. He’s at least grown to enjoy your company. If he’s interested in more than that, I’d be the next happiest person, after him, for it to happen.”

  “So it doesn’t bother you if Billy is gay? If I am interested in him?”

  Grace chuckled. “I figured out he’s gay a long time ago, so you aren’t telling me something I don’t already know. But you need to understand Billy’s family does not know. Mr. All-American-Athlete here never came out to his family or friends.

  “He keeps tight control on his emotions in that respect, so most people don’t pick up on anything. Even if he is attracted to you, I’m not sure whether he’ll act on it or not. There’s a ton at stake for him if he does.”

  Anthony gazed down at Billy as he considered Grace’s disclosure. He spoke in such a quiet voice it was a strain for Grace to hear his words. “Well, my family is aware I am gay. That, at least, is not a problem.”

  He peered up at her with a self-deprecating smile. “However, they do not look favorably on having a relationship with Norms. It is actually forbidden, even if you fall in love with one.”

  Grace’s heart went out to Anthony and Billy as Anthony wiped away the tears that formed in his eyes during his admission.

  “Okay, so there’ll be issues if you both want to act on your feelings. But right now, we need to focus on Billy surviving his injuries and making a full recovery. Like you said, channel all those emotions into thoughts of Billy getting better, and we’ll find out where this takes you guys. Regardless of what happens, you both have my blessings and my full support.”

  “Thank you, Grace,” Anthony said. “It means a great deal that you are on our side. Now it is probably best if I take up my ‘station’ outside for guard duty before Billy’s family gets back.”

  As Anthony moved to leave the room, Grace put her hand on his arm to stop him.

  “There’s one thing that’s been bothering me since we got to the warehouse and discovered what the Glamour was doing. Sabra said he was taking pieces of each of the girls to create the woman-thing we burned.” She brushed her chin with her finger.

  “How is that possible? If Paranorms have only one power, how was the Glamour creating such a thing? He has mind control abilities, but this is something way beyond that, right?”

  Anthony shifted his feet before answering her. “To be honest, I have no idea. He should not be capable of doing what he did with the creature. The question is whether he is special, like you, in having multiple abilities. Or whether there is another person we have not suspected until now who is helping him do this to the girls.”

  “We aren’t hunting one person? There’s someone else involved in this mess?” The sense of dread lurking in the back of her mind rushed forward when she said what she feared out loud.

  “Yes, that is a real possibility.”

  “Then is there anything else you can tell me that can help at this point?”

  “I would say you need to go back and speak with Nicco about what we found. I have given him a rough idea of what happened and can update him now on the details. But your best chance for figuring out what is going on is to talk with him yourself.”

  “That’s what I was afraid you’d say,” she muttered to herself as she released Anthony’s arm.

  Chapter 35

  Viora stood at the wall of windows that made up one side of the penthouse office. She stared out into the night, eyes surveying the lights of the city below her. The events that had occurred the last few days tainted her usual satisfaction with the view and her place above it.

  She forced herself to stand in one place, composed rather than pacing the floor. The anger raged inside her like a maelstrom. She could hold it in check only by her iron will, developed over decades of ruling The Family.

  A knock at the door pulled her attention away from her deliberations. Robyn was right on time, as usual. Gregory crossed the room at a measured pace to answer the door.

  Viora took a seat in the lone chair positioned on top the dais. She allowed no one to sit in her presence, here. As soon as he let Robyn inside, Gregory left the room and closed the door.

  She smiled to herself as Robyn traversed the room to stand in front of her. His scared expression made it clear he understood what it meant to be called to meet with her here. A formal meeting in her penthouse rather than a casual meeting in the office meant she was not pleased with him.

  Viora waited him out, enjoying the fear pouring off of him as he s
tood, wringing his hands. These moments of watching others cower in her presence were what she enjoyed most about being head of The Family. Having people at your beck and call was one thing, having them at the whim of your will… intoxicating.

  After a time, she grew bored with his cringing. “Robyn, how long have you been mine?”

  Robyn swallowed, forehead wrinkling. “You bought me from the Klavkov family forty years ago, Mia Regina.”

  “They told me that your usefulness would be limited. But you proved yourself worthy to me during that time, helping me for these years of planning, scheming, plotting, and manipulating.”

  He stood still, blinking as if unsure whether to respond to the compliment.

  “I have been working for years with deliberate patience and skill from behind the scenes to bring all the pieces together. And I am close to attaining my goal of forcing the other Families to bow to my will.”

  Viora’s hands clenched the arm rests of her chair.

  “But this Aperto Rotto has become involved, and your extra-curricular activities are no longer secret.”

  She ignored Robyn’s look of confusion, her anger battling her will to contain it. “I thought that limiting Niccolo’s ability to help the girl would move things in my favor. But at this crucial time, things are not turning out as I planned. Instead of jumping at the chance to become part of the Paranorm family, she seems determined to defy both the Paranorms and The Family. She insists on pursuing the disappearances you’ve created through unofficial channels. Normally I would applaud such dogged commitment, even admire it. But her efforts are getting in the way of my goals.”

  The cords on her neck stood out as her nostrils flared. “None of this would be a problem if you were clever enough to keep your extracurricular activities a secret. Your entertainments are getting out of hand. Your sheer lack of control is infuriating.”

  Robyn raised a shaking hand to her. “Mia Regina—”

  She cut him off with a growl. “I let you take your enjoyments as a reward for how effective you remained to me these past years. You are integral to my plans, but they demand your abilities and your role stay hidden. I cannot afford to let your indiscretions bring the Norms’ attention to The Family. Nor bring the other Families’ attention to what I am trying to accomplish.” Her lips pinched into a thin line before she forced them to relax.

  “It is inconvenient enough that the Paranorms are aware that a Glamour is in the city amongst them and preying on Norms. It is an embarrassment that the West Coast branch of The Family now knows of the situation.”

  With a snarl, Viora continued. “I will not have The Family perceive me as weak and unable to control the Paranorms, especially one who is using his power and putting The Family at risk with his clumsiness. They believe these indiscretions are acts of a rogue Paranorm, but that will not last long if you continue to expose yourself. Your entertainments are much too public. They must stop.”

  Her lips pulled back, barring her teeth, as she forced herself to wait for Robyn’s response.

  Robyn frowned, rubbing his face. “My entertainments, Mia Regina? I’m sorry, but I don’t know what you mean.” He appeared worried that he was unable to understand her.

  “The Norms, Robyn. The Norms you have been playing with. I understand how entertaining it can be to make these creatures dance to your whims, maybe engage in a little pleasurable torture of a few of them. They are there for our pleasure, are they not? But too many Paranorms and too many in The Family are now aware of these activities. They aren’t connecting you to them yet, but we can’t take the risk they will. Stop. Now.” Her voice was icy and low, but she made sure there was no mistaking the command in it.

  Robyn continued to look confused and opened his mouth to say something more. But Viora’s patience with him had come to an end. Putting her plans in jeopardy, providing an opening for The Family to question her competence and authority, and now denying his actions to her face?

  “This conversation is over. We will not have another one on this topic. Go home and stay there until I need you again.”

  With that dismissal, Viora rose. She remained impassive as his expression changed from confusion to rage and his eyes changed from brown to gray. The contest of wills was ended quickly, and he stormed out the door.

  With a smile of satisfaction, she returned to her view of the city.

  Chapter 36

  Gustav stood in the early twilight shadows, scrutinizing Grace’s townhouse from across the street. He seethed at how the girl had ruined so much of his planning.

  “You’re sure this is her home?” he asked.

  “Yes. I told you I would find out where she lives. And look, there is her car with the right license plate, too.” Robyn pointed to Grace’s car, parked in front of the townhouse.

  Robyn had gathered several interesting facts about the Aperto Rotto in the short time since the disaster at the warehouse, including her home address. He could be quite resourceful, given the right motivation.

  “Why are we here?” Robyn asked.

  “Because I want to leave a message for Miss Bishop. A personal message.”

  “And you needed my help to make sure no one sees or remembers you while you do it?”

  “Yes, but it looks like your abilities aren’t needed beyond helping me buy her gifts unnoticed.” Gustav gestured to the empty street.

  “Why just leave a message? Why don’t you do something more if you’re so angry with her?”

  Gustav ground his teeth.

  “Because I’m waiting to decide how best to deal with Miss Bishop. I may be able to use her to my advantage, still make my plans come together. In the meantime, I want her to see that I know where she lives and where she is vulnerable. I want her to start second guessing herself, making mistakes. We’ll see how much The Family and the Paranorms admire this Aperto Rotto once I’m done with her.”

  Robyn shrank back as Gustav finished his tirade.

  “Be on your way, little Robyn. This is a message I will deliver myself.”

  Without stopping to check if Robyn had obeyed him, Gustav stepped out of the shadows and crossed the street.

  Chapter 37

  Grace was stepping out of the shower when the doorbell rang. She had stopped by the apartment for a quick shower and change of clothes before her meeting with Nicco. Whoever it was, they would need to come back another time. She had way too much on her plate today to deal with anyone.

  Grace wanted to get to the conversation with Nicco as soon as possible. She was sure he was keeping things from her. She would get real answers from him, no matter how many readings it took.

  She’d dried her hair and gotten dressed by the time the doorbell rang again.

  What is it with these people! She hurried down the stairs to throw open the front door.

  A startled Sophie on the threshold was poised to push the doorbell one more time.

  “Oh, Grace!” Sophie said in surprise. “I wasn’t sure anyone was at home.”

  “Yes, I am. But not for long.” Grace tried not to be short with her friend in her anxiousness to get to the theater.

  “I was stopping by to drop off some gifts,” Sophie began in a bright voice, her natural lightheartedness reappearing. “I spoke to Marcella, and she agreed I could bring these to you.” Sophie held out several tissue-paper-wrapped bundles.

  “Marcella?”

  “She’s the matriarch of our Paranorm family,” Sophie explained, stepping around Grace to come inside. “Next to Nicco, she’s the most important person you’ll need to deal with now that you’ll be part of the family.”

  Grace sighed as she closed the door behind her friend. It looked like her trip to the theater would be delayed while she found out what had Sophie all excited. “Uh, part of the family?”

  Sophie looked up from where she was laying the bundles on the living room table. “Of course!” she replied. “Once Nicco makes your Paranorm status official, Marcella will make you an honorary member of th
e family. Anthony and I both spoke to her about it. She promised she would, and she always keeps her word.” Sophie busied herself with unwrapping the bundles.

  Competing thoughts raced through Grace’s head. A member of Sophie’s family, even an honorary one? Sophie and Anthony both spoke on her behalf? Nicco needed to make it official? “That would make us something like, um, cousins?” she asked.

  Sophie giggled. “Yes, something like that. Come here and help me with these.” She gestured to what she brought with her.

  Grace moved to the table where several bundles of what appeared to be dried weeds held together with thin blue satin ribbons lay. Some of the bundles even had tiny bells attached to the ends of the ribbons.

  “What are these for?” Grace asked.

  “These are to put up around the house—in the windows and at the front and back doors. The Norms know them as good luck charms for the home and family. But the particular combination of plants, ribbons, and bells show you’re a friend of our Paranorm family.” She smoothed out a ribbon on one of the bundles.

  “My family gives them to Norms who are particularly friendly to Paranorms. Even if they’re not aware it’s recognition for their openness in dealing with us. We tell them it’s an old family tradition brought over from the ‘old country,’ and they’re happy to put them up in their homes and businesses. It’s a way to let Paranorms know who supports our family and who we like.”

  “We aren’t announcing I’m a Paranorm with these? We’re only saying I’m a decent person and the family likes me?” Grace repeated to confirm her understanding.

  “Yes, that’s it. I asked Marcella for permission to bring other charms to show you’re a Paranorm to the rest of our family. They would also act as wards to keep Paranorms from entering the house without your permission. But she said we needed to wait for Nicco’s official acknowledgment of your status before you’re allowed to have them.”